Women have been fighting to be seen as professional artists for hundreds of years.
Dr Kate Lister explores a brand new exhibition at the Tate Britain that features the work of over 100 female professional artists: 'Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520–1920'. Kate investigates the challenges these women faced, from their fight to take part in exhibitions, to being accepted, to training, to painting whatever they wanted, including war scenes and the nude.
We first look into some of the first works by a female professional artist, the Tudor Miniaturist, Levina Teerlinc, before diving deep into the 17th century and how women were firmly placed as ‘amateurs’ painting just as a ‘hobby’, but even then, if we look closely we there were exceptions to the rule to be found. Women like the 17th century portrait painter Mary Beale.
Kate looks at the work of Sarah Biffin, a woman cruelly exhibited at sideshows for her disabilities before becoming a successful artist, using her mouth to paint glorious images, even selling paintings to Queen Victoria. Then we jump forward to the end of the 19th century and uncover the fight for women to be able to paint the nude with Curator Tabitha Barber. Finally Kate meets Assistant Curator Tim Batchelor to discover the obstacles women like Elizabeth Butler faced to fight ‘unsuitable’ scenes such as war scenes.
Kate finds out how these artworks aren’t just art, but a vision of these women’s lives showcasing their lives and their stories. And these are just the stories that have been found so far, imagine how much has been disregarded, lost or destroyed and how much more could still be uncovered…who knows what we’ll find next!
Let us know your favourite artworks in the comments!
Visit ‘Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520–1920’ at the Tate Britain until the 13th October 2024.
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/women-artists-in-britain-1520-1920
Want to find out even more? Listen to Kate's podcast, Betwixt the Sheets. In the episode 'How Nudes Changed Britain' hear Kate have an in-depth conversation with 'Now You See Us' curator, Tabitha Barber, on what the art world would have been like for Victorian women, why painting nudes was so vital, and the incredible social movements this issue became part of. You can listen to it here: https://pod.link/1612090432
Up Next in From Modern to Ancient
-
Medieval Apocalypse
For medieval people, the apocalypse was not some distant prophecy—it was an imminent reality shaping their lives.
In Medieval Apocalypse, historian Dr. Eleanor Janega embarks on a journey through England and France to uncover how our ancestors understood the end of days. From the terrifying vis...
-
The Auschwitz House
On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Dan Snow and History Hit were given unique access to the house formerly home to the commandant of the concentration camp, Rudolf Höss.
Barely touched since the end of the second world war (and recently featured in the Oscar winning film The...
-
The Incredible Story of William J. Ba...
Tristan Hughes follows in the adventurous footsteps of William John Bankes. From the deserts of Egypt to the elaborate interiors of Kingston Lacy, he explores the incredible achievements of this 19th century daredevil.
Bankes was the Georgian Indiana Jones - an adventurer, collector and spy, cha...
10 Comments